Roger Federer swept the last five games of the opening set, won 36 of 43 service points in the first two sets, and eliminated 87th-ranked Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round on the opening day of the French Open.

Sunday's win was the 2009 champion's 59th in a French Open match, tying him with Rafael Nadal for the most in history. Nadal, who has won eight titles here, gets a chance to nudge ahead Monday, when he'll play his first-round match against American wild-card entry Robby Ginepri.

"Rafa is the favorite" to win the tournament, Federer proclaimed, saying Novak Djokovic comes next in the pecking order, "and then the rest (of us); it's very clear."